Wagon-box.



No. 674,099. Patented May I4, |90I.

Tu: norms versus no, Mofnumu., wAsmnumN, n .a

llniirnp STATES Arnim FFICE.

WAGON-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 674,099, dated May 14,1901.

Application filed March 13, 190].. Serial No. 50,985. (No model.)

T0 all whom, it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM SCHLUTER, a citizen of the United States,residing in Pleasant Valley township, in the county of Grundy and Stateof Iowa, have invented a new and useful Vagon-Box, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The present invention relates to wagonboxes, and more particularly to improvements in the means for fastening additional side and end boards tothe ordinary box for the purpose of increasing its capacity.

One of the principal objects is to provide means whereby the additionalsideboards may be quickly attached to or detached from the body and whenin place are securely locked against accidental displacement.

A further and important object is to provide a construction in which theadditional sections are clamped tightly in binding engagement with thesection upon which they are placed, so that no cracks or spaces will beleft between them, thus preventing the escape of the grain or othercontents of the body.

In carrying out these objects the construction described in thefollowing` specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings ispreferred; but this construction may be changed and modified withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention, provided such change iswithin the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of the rear portion of awagon-body, showing the improved fastening means applied thereto. Fig. 2is a rear elevation of the same, but showing the upper locking deviceunfastened. Fig. 3 is a verticalsectional view, on an enlarged scale,through one side of the body. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of oneof the hinge-leaves.

Similar n umerals of reference designate corresponding parts in theseveral figures of the drawings.

In the construction shown in the accompanyingdrawings the box has abottom l0, the usual side-boards 11, and tail-board 12. The bottom isprovided with transverse cleats 13, having the projecting ends 14. Thesuppleinentary side and end boards are designated,

respectively, 15 and 16 and are adapted to be securely in place.

placed upon the main box, as will be readily understood.

As thus far described the construction is well known, the inventionrelating lo the means for securing the supplementary seotions to thebox. I

In carrying out the invention a plurality of transversely-arrangedhinge-leaves (designated, respectively, 17, 18, and 19) are secured tothe exterior face of each sideboard. Each lower leaf 17 comprises ashank 17, having its lower end screw threaded and passing through theprojecting end of one of the cleats 13, a nut 2O being threaded upon thesaine. The upper end of the shank 17 is bent to form a clamping-hook 21,that engages over the lop edge of the side-board 11, and thus holds itProjecting from the outer face of the shank, near the upper end, is adownwardly-bent hinge-hook 22. Each leaf 18 of the intermediatesupplemental section 15 comprises a shank 1H, having a clampinghook 21and hinge-hook 22, similar in construction and disposition to those ofthe leaf 17. The lower end of this leaf is, however, provided with adepending hinge-eye 23,which is offset from the lower end of the shank18, said lower end thus forming a bearingshoulder 24. The top side-boardis provided with leaves similar in construction to the leaves of theintermediate board, with the exception of the hinge-hooks, which aredispensed with.

In applying the intermediate supplementary sections to the box the lowerhinge-eyes 23 of the leaves 1S are engaged under the hinge -hooks 22 ofthe main portion of the body and the supplementary side-boards areraised to an upright position. The shoulders 24E will therefore bearupon the top faces of the hooks 21, and the section will be securelyinterlocked with the box. When it is desired to use the top section, itis applied to the intermediate section in a similar manner. In order tohold these several sections in operative relation, a locking device 25is provided for each section and is constructed as follows: A pair oflinks or dra ft-rods 26 are constructed with hooks 27 at their outerends and have their inner ends pivot-ally connected at different pointsto one end of an operating-lever 28, the free end of said lever beingprovided upon one side with an offset securing-hook 29. The hooks 27 ofthe links 25 are placed in eyes 30, arranged upon the opposing innerfaces of the rear ends of the side-boards. The lever is then turned todraw, the links together, and the hook 29 is engaged over one ofthesame, thus holding them against retrograde movement and clamping theboards in place.

It will be observed that when the supplementary side-boards are fastenedas above described their lower edges Will be drawn tightly down upon thetop edge of the under board, so that a tight joint will be made andleakage prevented. It will of course be understood that any number ofintermediate boards 18 maybe employed, as desired. When it is desired toremove any or all of the sections, it is only necessary to unlock thelever 28 and open and remove the links, whereupon the sides may be sWungoutwardly and removed.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, andmany advantages of the herein-described invention will be apparent tothose skilled in the art without further description, and it Will beunderstood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, andminor details of construction may be resorted to Without departing fromthe spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device of the class described, a pair of leaves adapted to besecured to the sideboards of a vehicle-box, one of said leaves having abox-engaging hook on one face and a hinge-hook on its opposite face, theother leaf having a hinge-eye adapted to engage the hinge-hook of theiirst-named leaf.

2. In a device of the class described, a pair of leaves adapted to besecured to the sideboards of a vehicle-box, one of said leavescomprising a shank having an offset box-engaging hook at its upper end,and an oppositely-projecting hinge-hook, the other leaf comprising ashank having an offset hingeeye arranged to engage the hinge-hook of thefirst-named leaf and being provided with a lower shoulder adapted tobear upon the boxengaging hook of said first-named leaf.

3. In a wagon-box, the combination with side-boards having transverselydisposed leaves provided at their upper ends with hooks that engage overthe top edge of said boards and having depending hinge-hooks on theirexterior faces, of supplementary sideboards adapted to be placed uponthe irstnamed side-boards and provided with transversely-disposed leaveshaving depending eyes arranged to engage the hinge-hooks of thefirst-named leaves, and means connecting the corresponding side-boardsto hold them in operative position.

4. In a Wagon-box, the combination with side-boards having transverselydisposed leaves provided at their upper ends with hooks that engage overthe top edge of said boards and having depending hinge-hooks on theirexterior faces, of supplementary sideboards adapted to be placed uponthe firstnamed side-boards and provided With transversely disposedleaves having depending eyes arranged to engage the hinge-hooks of thefirst-named leaves, and links pivotally connected to a lever at theirinner ends and having means for engaging the corresponding side-boardsto hold them in operative position.

5. In a wagon-box, the combination with sideboards having transverselydisposed leaves provided at their upper ends with hooksthat engage overthe top edges of said boards and having depending hinge-hooks on theirexterior faces, of supplementary sideboards adapted to be placed uponthe firstnamed side-boards and provided with transversely-disposedleaves having offset depending eyes arranged to engage the hinge-hooksof the iirst-named leaves, said su pplementary leaves being alsoprovided at their upper ends with hooks that engage over the top edgesot' the supplementary boards, and links pivotally connected at theirinner ends to different portions of a locking-lever and having hooks attheir outer ends for engaging the corresponding side-boards to hold saidsideboards in operative position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM SCHLUTER.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. DREYER, FRED. WEISS.

IOO

